Definitions Flashcards
Accretion wedge
The accumulation of material at the point of subduction
Aseismic buildings
Buildings designed to withstand or minimise destruction during an earthquake
Asthenosphere
The upper mantle layer of the Earth- semimolte, 2000km wide
Ash
Fine particles and dust ejected during an eruption, which can remain airborne as clouds or accumulate on the ground
Continental crust
Crust that forms the continents of the lithosphere, around 35km thick
Continental drift
The movement of tectonic plates, due to varying weights of the crust- slab pull is the driving force
Degg’s model
This model shows that a hazard becomes a disaster if it affects a vulnerable population
Epicentre
The point on the surface, directly above the earthquakes origin
Focus
The place in the crust where the pressure/seismic energy is released
Hazard mitigation cycle
The sequence of governance of a natural hazard- monitoring & prediction, mitigation and preparedness
Mitigation
Reducing risk of harm or minimising losses
Hot spot
Volcanoes found away from the plate boundary, due to a magma plume close to the surface
Jokulhaup
A sudden glacial flood caused by a glacier on top of or near a volcano that melts due to the heat of the eruption
Lahar
A flow of mud and debris
Lithosphere
The upper crust of the earth, around 100km thick
